Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The state pays better, has much better staff retention, provides better programming and treatment for incarcerated individuals, and offers better re-entry services which helps to lower the rate of re-offense. GEO is entertaining offers. The Polis administration considers corrections a core function of state government, and believes its the states responsibility to take care of the facilities and employees who provide that function, said Aaron Greco, a lobbyist for the Department of Corrections. Allen said that if legislators are to discuss eliminating private prisons, they need an accurate view of how theyre performing. But, we will leave those communities without a large segment of their working population and their tax base, and if we do that it will be irresponsible if we walk away from those communities. We did.. For people who live near the two private prisons in Colorado, it's become a lifeline to jobs and services the community relies on. Lexipol. (719) 456-2610. A second prison, the La Vista Correctional Facility, a women's prison in Pueblo, was recommended by the governor's budget office for a reduction in bed capacity, also for budget reasons. The prisoner died on . Bent County Correctional Facility proudly supports the community through involvement in the following organizations and programs: Bent County Fair Board; Las Animas Chamber of Commerce; Las Animas Lions Club; La Junta Chamber of Commerce; Angel Tree for Children; Local Area Food Bank; Color Guard; Local Parades; Community Support Projects; Regional Schools Fundraising and Events, 1998 CCA Facility of the Year: Best Performance in Safety; 1997 CCA Facility of the Year: Community Relations, The following information is provided in accordance with PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003). "This company is on the decline in an industry that is burning out. In 2021, DOC and CoreCivic data show a correctional officer turnover rate of 107% at the Bent County prison and 126% at the Crowley County prison, according to a Friday memo for state lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee, prepared by committee staff. InNovember 2020, theBent CountyDemocrat reported that a nurse who had worked at theBent Countyfacility,Dannette Karapetian, was suingCoreCivicand alleging retaliation over her complaints about discrimination and quality of patient care. Bent County Correctional Facility, 11560 County Road Ff75, Los Animas, CO 81054. That could mean, pending a. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. Mr. Virgil Ensey. State prison inmates are able to make calls with: Calling Cards. The Department of Corrections also wants an additional $5.5 million to open a second tower to address overcrowding beyond that caused by the shutdown at Cheyenne Mountain. Colorado lawmakers explore automation to dispense drugs, National GOP group hits Democrat Yadira Caraveo over Medicare funding in six-figure ad campaign. Special to The Colorado Sun Closing the minimum security prison will save the state $1.9 million in the general fund in 2020-21 and almost $5 million the following year. The bill is in line with the administrations goal to eventually reduce and eliminate the use of private prisons, said DOC lobbyist Greco, although for now we cant operate without our private partners.. If you look at the cost of private prisons, theyre significantly less.. What weve learned in the past few years is that (private prisons) are losing money, Herod said. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. "We are in a position as a community to use this study to our advantage by being proactive in creating a better economy founded on innovation and leading in what we know best: agriculture. Factors that will inform the state and communities about theColoradoprison system were destabilized by the COVID-19 pandemic, which the study found reduced the state prison population by more than half in 2020. Marianne Goodland Bent and Crowley County commissioners testify on House Bill 1019 on Janaury 28 and the impact that closing their prisons would have on their economy. Tuesday night was supposed to be the first of two community feedback sessions as part of that feasibility study. Theres a computer center, and on the day of the visit a half-dozen inmates were at the keyboards, working on resumes or improving computer skills. All rights reserved. Enter https://www.corrections1.com/ and click OK. The Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center will be an empty jailhouse by March 7, driven out by politics and money. CoreCivic's Bent County Correctional Facility landed at number two on the list with 40 GEDs earned over the same time period. Anyone who arrives after 3pm will not be allowed to enter into a visiting session. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and Twitter. The teachers at Crowley helped 97 inmates earn their GED between July 1, 2019, and February 29, 2020 more than any other correctional facility in Colorado. "If we close down one or two facilities we're going to save the state millions of dollars, period. The rate increase will allow CoreCivic to pay its correctional officers a starting wage of $22 per hour, according to the DOC. That action freed up beds all over the state prison system, and Skyline already has 36 vacant beds. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. With departing employees outnumbering those still working there, these facilities which house thousands of medium security inmates are in dire circumstances. Bent County generated $2.6 million in revenue for the county and eight. The bill's first draft of called forColoradoto close its private prisons by 2025. But while the pay increase would probably somewhat help the turnover situation, there are other reasons why CoreCivic is having a hard time retaining its employees, said Justin Brakke, senior legislative budget and policy analyst on JBC staff. Photo by Marianne Goodland/Colorado Politics Motivational posters, the kind youd see in any workplace, dot the first floor of Cheyenne Mountain Reentry Center in Colorado Springs. In an industrial area of southeast Colorado Springs, south of the El Paso County jail and a jaunt off Interstate 25, change is happening fast. by Faith Miller, Colorado Newsline January 26, 2022. 615-263-3140, Fax (for employment verification only): "We have the opportunity to close down some of these private prisons, and prisons in general, because we don't need them in the state and we can reprioritize those funds for something else," Herod said. / CBS Colorado. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Visitors can bring quarters or small bills to load up to $20 on a vending machine card. That comes at a time when lawmakers are discussing closing the other two private prisons operated by CoreCivic. Get details about visiting this facility, sending mail, telephone and more. [1] CCA has run the facility since 1996, and it has an . All local input will be delivered to Colorado Legislators. Collect Calls. Leaders lobbied the legislature, even met with Governor Jared Polis, who signed the bill into law, to seek compromise. Were taking significant steps to attract and retain talented people through various means to counter the current employment challenges so many employers are facing throughout the country.. House Bill 1019 comes from the Prison Population Management Interim Study Committee. Marianne Goodland Cheyenne Mountains cafeteria. The facility is owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America under contract with the Colorado Department of Corrections and houses Colorado inmates. It was built by the Bent County taxpayers in 1993, Netherton said. CoreCivic has been dealing with a staffing crisis over the last several years,. We have two ofCoreCivic'sdetention facilities in a state that has increasingly passed some of the most unfriendliest policies for their industry.". The state department had to scramble to house the inmates and the local economy lost the jobs and tax income. Shortly after, the county sold it to a private company to run. Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Gov. The Bent County Correctional Facility is a private medium-security prison for men located in Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado.The facility is owned and operated by CoreCivic under contract with the Colorado Department of Corrections and houses Colorado inmates.. CoreCivic has run the facility since 1996, and it has an official capacity of 1466 inmates In order to keep facilities safe, candidates must be able to pass background screenings. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. With departing employees outnumbering those still . It is one of four minimum-security facilities in Colorado and the only one inCaon City. There's also efforts underway to look at how to help communities around Otero, Bent and Crowley counties if the prisons were to close. She criticized the various programs offered by the facility to inmates, saying that programs are themselves limited in number as well as the available space within them. In an email, CoreCivic spokesperson Matthew Davio pointed out that staffing challenges were not unique to the Crowley County and Bent County prisons. If these facilities are needed, our state should take on the two remaining private prisons and incorporate them into the Department of Corrections. They continually ask the state to decrease their responsibilities in the contracts, which I believe leads to unsafe environments for both the correctional officer and the inmate.. Joey Bunch is the senior correspondent and deputy managing editor of Colorado Politics. "The lateHuerfano County,Kit Carsonfacility, as well asBent County,Crowley County, are known among inmates as theLas Vegasand Wild West of DOC," Gurule said. It has become the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for correctional professionals nationwide. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Here's why. The costs of operation are driven down by fewer health programs and lower-paid staff. Contact the facility operator for answers to questions concerning visitation rules. 220 employees, with $13.2 million annual payroll (BCCF is the County's largest employer) Over a $1.1 million loss of Property Tax to County, Fire, Ambulance, Schools, Water Districts, Cemetery, & Library. Corrections officials said CMRC has not complied with contract obligations and has other performance deficiencies, which they say demonstrates why the move is needed. The Department of Corrections reported a turnover rate of 22.9% in November 2021, according to a December presentation to the Joint Budget Committee. Thats something that deserves to be considered when youre making judgments about whether you should stop relying on private prisons, which are, I can tell you, much less expensive to operate, the budget analyst said. Mailroom staff will reject anything containing contraband, cash, personal checks, or money orders. The committee passed four amendments to House Bill 1019 and the bill itself, unanimously. Private prisons are a dangerous alliance for county governments. We need a restorative approach to drug addiction. Opinion: Zero-tolerance isnt working. "This original bill was to close private prisons by the year 2025," Netherton said. CoreCivic has invested in commercial advertising, participated in public events, and attempted to recruit community members through job boards, military bases, local colleges, social media and local hiring events, Davio said. Gurule proposed a cannabis company. The counties do not want these prisons closed. January 27, 2021 / 11:20 PM Colorado Politics senior political reporter. Gurule said private prisons make their money by incarcerating inmates and described their business models as "essentially making incarcerated people a required commodity for financial gain.". Foster pointed to what his private facility offers that the state will have to replicate: cognitive behavioral training, sex offender management, classes on building resumes, job searches and interview skills, plus financial planning, substance abuse treatment and basic education. Access all of our premium content, get unlimited digital access and more! Herod said that ifColorado'sprivate prisons are to eventually close, options such as a buy-back of the facilities by the state would be included. Phone Number. The county has been in decline since the 1970s, when farmers and ranchers sold off their water rights to the Crowley County Land and Development Company, which in turn sold those water rights to Aurora, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Crowley County Correctional Facility Customer base: Colorado Department of Corrections - Facility Type: Medium Security, Owned since 2003 For updated visitation schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, click here . The city of Denver has sent the same signal. When it was introduced, the bill set a 2025 deadline for private prisons to cease operations, but Herod then amended out a set date. "We can do something that makes more sense for that community, but also doesn't do it on the backs of inmates who really obviously need an opportunity to transition back into society.". They told Colorado Politics that it would force both counties into bankruptcy. The Housepassed the bill to much public outcry locally, but things slowed in theSenate, where it was amended to mandate a study on the community effects of closing the facilities, specifically including the economic impact inBent,CrowleyandOterocounties. Although incarceration is down across the state, the private facilities inBentandCrowleycounties are operating just under their maximum recommended capacities. The Bent County Correctional Facility, located in Las Animas, CO, is a secure facility that houses inmates. Herod told Colorado Politics her intention was not to shutter the prisons entirely, but to transition them into state-run facilities, which would provide employees with better pay and benefits.